Bhubaneswar: Orissa Chief Minister Naveen
Patnaik on Tuesday assured the flood affected people that they
would receive compensation for house damage and crop loss "as
soon as possible" even as 198 villages in three coastal
districts remained marooned for the last 10 days.
Patnaik, who had earlier made an aerial survey of the
flood situation in the state during peak floods in Mahanadi
river system, today visited some of the worst affected areas
in Puri and Kendrapara districts.
The chief minister spoke to the people in Gop area of Puri
district and Mahakalpada block in Kendrapara district. "This
was a devastating flood. The officials are now engaged in
enumeration of house damage and other devastation," Patnaik
told reporters at Gop.
During his visit to Kendrapara district, he inspected a
health camp and a free kitchen centre.
However, a large number of people who wanted to talk to
the chief minister about their miseries, were denied access
to Patnaik, a report from Kendrapara said.
Meanwhile, the toll in the floods mounted to 39 while nine
others were still missing, Special Relief Commissioner P K
Mohapatra said adding that officials had been asked to
disburse ex-gratia to the families of the dead.
"The missing persons will be considered as dead if their
whereabouts are not ascertained within three months according
to the provision of the relief code," a senior official at the
SRC said.
Mohapatra said the marooned villages were now being
provided with relief materials through boats. "A total of
31.45 lakh population had been hit by the flood which caused
damages to 1,18,429 houses in 19 districts," he said.
The standing paddy crop over 2.9 lakh hectare had also
been damaged, he said adding that the district collectors were
undertaking enumerations in affected 4,600 villages.
"Of the 19 affected districts, the collectors of six
districts have already submitted their damage assessment
report. We will get report from all the 19 districts by
tonight," the SRC said.
The state government which was expecting visit of a
central team any time after tomorrow, was preparing the
memorandum to be submitted with the Centre.
The state government has already demanded one lakh
housing units under Indira Awas Yojana and seeds for the
coming rabi season, he said.
PTI
